Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to look at Mullins case again

MANATEE — The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an internal review of its investigation into the undetermined cause of death for former Palmetto High media specialist Pat Mullins.

Spokesman Dave Bristow said Wednesday detective Inspector Bud Johnson is conducting the review, along with a sheriff’s sergeant.

Detective Darryl Davis, who conducted the initial investigation handling his first murder case, is still assigned to the probe.

Mullins, 52, went missing Jan. 27 while testing a boat motor on the Braden River. His boat was found two days later and his body one week after that near Emerson Point in 4 feet of water strapped to a 25-pound boat anchor.

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The cause of death was determined to be a shotgun blast to the head, although forensic experts could not determine if it was self-inflicted or murder.

His widow, Jill Mullins, maintains her husband did not kill himself, and retained Sarasota attorney Andrea Mogensen. Mullins and her son, Miles, have asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, to re-examine the case, which the MCSO has rejected as an option.

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